Virtual Kennel: Mackem Proud is moving in the right direction

General / Editor / 27 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Hawk flies North East to cast his beady eye on two raw talents...

Backing young greyhounds from the Yvonne Bell kennel is an angle I regularly look for at Sunderland.

This week saw her Mackem Proud attract late support in the market to go off [3.5] favourite having opened [4.0]. Not a massive move I grant you, but a significant one nevertheless - especially as the dog had won an A5 (grade lower) as the [2.25] favourite in his previous outing.

Mackem Proud has only had three runs and is still very green. The October 2007 dog has yet to learn how to really trap from the boxes - last time out though he started significantly better that he had done previously and he is going the right way.

Mackem Proud though was very unlucky to finish only second on this occasion . He met trouble all around the track and with anywhere near a clear run would have won.

He rails well, but was taken out wide on the track and trap six and trap five actually were inside him at the final two turns. This didn't help him as he turned for home but he stuck on well. He has already broken the 28 second barrier and given luck and possibly drawn inside a slow starter would prove difficult to beat next time up. His trapping is improving as he builds up track and trapping experience. He shouldn't be missed even in this higher A4 grade. He could be running in top grade at the track in time.

Mackem Proud Sunderland A4

Total Disaster has been as high as A1 class at Sunderland but now plies his trade in A5 and went into the notebook recently when a running on to be a 3.75 length second to Saha Junior. He is a dog that needs luck in running as he does find trouble and he needs the gaps to appear. He has recently won an A5 and has recorded a recent best time of 28.16 as well. That's well within an A5 and he should win soon.

As he is such a slow starter that special attention must be made to his draw in relation to other runners. I would be confident of a 1-2 finish if he is drawn on the rails with a quick starter on his outside. And the bonus with this dog is that he is back in form - three wins in his last nine races. And he is a dog that likes to win and given his run style (i.e. he sometimes finds trouble and finishes nowhere) we can get over inflated odds when he does oblige. His recent SP's have been 5.0, 6.0 and 4.5.

Total Disaster Sunderland A5